Women's Basketball Set to Usher in 2021-22 Season Versus Youngstown State

Women's Basketball vs. Youngstown State
Date	Tuesday, Nov. 9 \| 12 p.m. ET
Venue	Ypsilanti, Mich. \| Convocation Center
Preview Info	EMU Notes \| EMU Preseason Video
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Twitter	@EMU_WBB \| @EMUAthletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The wait is over, college basketball is back! The Eastern Michigan University women's team will get its 2021-22 season under way Tuesday, Nov. 9 when it hosts Youngstown State University inside the Convocation Center. Tipoff is slated for 12 p.m.
   Fans can follow the action via live stats at EMUEagles.com/livestats. Additionally, the team's official Twitter account, @EMUWBB, will provide live updates throughout the contest.

SEASON OPENERS: In 45 seasons, the Green and White have compiled a 31-14 record in season openers. In fact, the Eagles have won nine of their last 10 lid lifters, including eight in-a-row between 2008-09 and 2018-19. Last season, the Eagles started their season with a 65-52 road win over Southern Illinois, Nov. 25, 2020.

STARTING AT HOME: Tuesday's opener marks the sixth time in the last nine years that EMU has started the season inside its home barn. The Eagles are a perfect 6-0 in those games.

ALL-TIME IN HOME OPENERS: Eastern Michigan enters Tuesday's matchup against YSU with a 35-10 all-time record in home-opening contests. Prior to EMU's home-opening setback to UIC last season, EMU had won 19 consecutive home openers (each season since 1999-20).

CHASING 200: The Eastern Michigan women's basketball program has racked up 193 total wins inside the Convocation Center since it opened for play in the 1998-1999 season. EMU can get to 200 all-time with seven home wins this season. The Eagles have averaged just over six wins at home each season since 2016-17, but have twice hit nine home wins.

NEW COACHING ADDITION: Eastern's coaching staff includes one new member for the 2021-22 season. Kevin Mondro joins the women's staff after a 10-year stint with the EMU men's program. Mondro had a 10-year run as a member of the men's basketball program including four as the Associate Head Coach in 2020-21. He has over 20 years of Division I experience, including seven postseason appearances. Mondro was instrumental in the growth of the Eastern Michigan program as a whole and in the successes of the recruiting classes.
   In 10 seasons at EMU, Mondro helped the Eagles turnaround of the men's basketball program, including milestones such as the 2012 Mid-American Conference West Division Championship, a run to the semifinals of the 2017-18 MAC Tournament and a postseason berth for the first time since the 1997-98 season when the Green and White earned a spot in the 2014 CollegeInsider.com Tournament. Under the help of Mondro's tutelage, the Green and White found itself in the 2015 College Basketball Invitational and a 2019 Jersey Mike's Jamaica Classic title as well.

THIS YEAR'S ROSTER MAKEUP: Eastern returns 12 players from last year's squad, and welcomes six new members to the team for the 2021-22 campaign.
   Statistically, the 12 EMU returners accounted for 71 percent of the Eagles' total scoring (912-of-1281), 75 percent of their total rebounds (605-of-802), 66 percent of the team's total minutes (2640-of-4000), and 54 percent of total assists (118-of-220) from the 2020-21 season.
   Additionally, the Eagles return last year's team leaders in points, field goals, free throws, rebounds, blocks, and steals.
   The six newcomers for the team feature four true freshmen and two transfers. The transfers, redshirt senior Danielle Rainey (Florida), and freshman Treasure Thomspon (Louisiana State) each come to EMU after stops at Southeaster Conference (Power Five) schools. Rainey saw action in 46 games during her time in the Blue and Orange, 14 of which were starts. She averaged 6.6 points and 2.7 rebounds per game, respectively.
   Full bio information and statistics for each member of the 2021-22 season can be found on in the player pages (beginning on page 12).

TRANSFER TOWN, USA: Head Coach Fred Castro has also established one of the most successful transfer destinations in the Mid-American Conference. Eight current Eagles began their careers elsewhere before finding a home in Ypsilanti, including three that came to EMU after stints at traditional 'Power Five' institutions. Additionally, many of the transfers were earning significant minutes at their previous institutions, and had earned all-conference recognition.
   The six transfers on this year's roster that were on the team a season ago, only four of which saw game action, combined to score 741 points (58% of team total), grab 390 boards (49% of team total), rack up 84 steals (49% of team total), and play 1732 minutes (43% of team total), during the 2020-21 season.

PRESEASON ALL-MAC HONORS: Redshirt senior guard Areanna Combs earned preseason All-MAC First Team honors, the league office announced Thursday, Nov. 4. Combs collected Second Team All-MAC honors in 2020-21, and was also named to the MAC All-Defensive Team. Combs has been recognized on both those teams in consecutive seasons, as she was named to the respective lists following the 2019-20 season as well. In 2019-20, she became the first EMU women's player to earn either honor since the 2015-16 campaign when Cha Sweeney and Janay Morton were honored in the two categories, respectively. Combs is just the second Eagle in program history to earn all-defensive honors, and brought home the school's 18th nod on the Second Team All-MAC list in 2020-21. Last season, she was one of the top-10 scorers in the league. She averaged 17.8 points per game, and has now scored in double figures in 42 of her 44 career games at Eastern.

MAC PRESEASON POLL: EMU was selected fifth overall in the Mid-American Conference's preseason coaches poll, released Nov. 4. The full poll was as follows: (See PDF for full chart)

LOOKING BACK AT LAST SEASON: The 2020-21 squad finished with a 10-10 overall record, including a 7-7 ledger in MAC play.
   Season highlights include Eastern's upset road win over Central Michigan, Jan. 20, which snapped the program's 13-game skid at the hands of the Chippewas.
   Individually, redshirt senior Areanna Combs was fantastic once again, as she broke the 1,000 career point mark. Fellow Oklahoman, redshirt sophomore Ce'Nara Skanes quickly established herself as one of the league's most dominant post players. She finished the season averaging 16.0 points and 10.9 rebounds per game en route to a team-best 12 double-double performances.

ANOTHER 2020-21 ALL-MAC WINNER: In addition to Areanna Combs' postseason honors following last season, redshirt sophomore Ce'Nara Skanes also added accolades to her resume. Skanes, playing for the first time in 2020-21 after transferring to EMU at the beginning of the 2019-20 campaign, collected Third Team All-MAC honors for her outstanding play this season. She is the eighth player in program history to collect the recognition, and first since Danielle Minott did it in 2017-18.
   Skanes notched a team-best 19 games with 10+ points this season, and eclipsed the 20-point mark on six different occasions, while she has hauled in at least 10 rebounds in 13 different contests. She led the Eagles' scoring efforts six times last season, and recorded EMU's single-game team-highs in points (30 vs. UIC, Nov. 29), field goals (14 vs. UIC, Nov. 29), free throws (14 vs. Gonzaga, Dec. 20), and rebounds (23 vs. Tarleton State, Dec. 21) in 2020-21. Additionally, she finished with 12 double-doubles.

BEST OF THE BUNCH: The Eagles allowed just 62.2 points per game in 2020-21, which was the best of any team in the league. EMU's field goal percentage defense was also first, as opponents shot just 37.1 percent against the Green and White.

CRAZY CONSISTENT: Consistency was the name of the game for EMU's offense last season. Eastern, which averaged 64.1 points per game, scored within two points of its average in seven of its contests (35%), and within four points of its average in 15-of-20 games (75%).

TEAM LEADERS IN 2020-21: Bold indicates a returning player in 2021-22. (See PDF for full chart)

GAME HIGHS IN 2020-21: Eastern Michigan's best team performances in 2020-21 came against: (See PDF for full chart)

KEEP THEM UNDER 60: While a team scoring 70 typically favors EMU's opponent, the Eagles were dominant when holding their competition under 60 points in a game in 2020-21. The team was 7-1 when holding its opponents under the 60-point plateau. Furthermore, Eastern is 34-7 during the Fred Castro era (2016-Pres.) when keeping its competition below 60 points.

CAN'T LET THEM SCORE 70: Although many factors contribute to the end result of a game, one thing is for certain; 70 is kryptonite for Eastern Michigan. Last season, the team went 0-4 when allowing 70 points in a game. Moreover, EMU is 8-32 when allowing 70+ points since the start of the 2016-17 season.
   When Eastern scored 70, it was 2-0 in 2020-21 and is 14-7 since the 2016-17 campaign.

FIRST HALF FORTUNES: It is often said that games are won in the second half, but Eastern Michigan's 2020-21 stats disagree. EMU was 8-1 last season when leading at the break, and just 2-9 when attempting a second-half comeback. The only game EMU lost after taking a lead into the locker room was its final contest, against BGSU, March 10. Since the start of the 2016-17 campaign, the Eagles are 36-15 when holding an intermission lead, and just 16-69 when trailing at the half.

SHOOT WELL, AND YOU WILL WIN: The team that shot the highest percentage from the floor emerged victorious in 17 of EMU's 20 games last season. That trend holds consistent during the last five seasons; the Eagles are 45-15 when outshooting opponents in that stretch, and are just 10-69 when scoring at a lesser clip than its competition.

ONE AWAY FROM TOP-10: Redshirt sophomore forward Ce'Nara Skanes recorded a team-high 12 double-doubles last season, which puts her just one away from cracking into EMU's top-10 list in the modern statistical era (1998-present). Academic All-American Sarah VanMetre (2003-07) sits atop the list with her 17-career double-doubles.

ROAD WARRIORS: EMU went just 3-5 at home last season, but its play on the road was excellent. The Eagles finished 6-2 away from Ypsilanti in 2020-21, a record that included four wins over conference opponents.

NEW (OKLA)HOMA IN YPSI: Eastern's Oklahoma connections run deeper than ever this season. Redshirt sophomore Ce'Nara Skanes, redshirt senior Areanna Combs, and freshman ZaNiya Nelson were all members of a Putnam City West high school team that was at one time coached by EMU assistant Carlos Adamson. EMU head man Fred Castro has Sooner State connections as well, having graduated from the University of Oklahoma with his bachelor's degree in 2004.

HOW NICE TO BE HOME: Eastern will open the 2021-22 slate with three consecutive home games. This season will mark the first time since 2012-13 that the Eagles have ushered in a new season with their first three games at home.

ALL-TIME AGAINST YOUNGSTOWN STATE: The Eagles and Penguins will battle for the eighth time when they meet at the Convocation Center, Nov. 9. Eastern holds a 4-3 all-time advantage over the Guins, but it is the Ohio-based squad who won most recently, besting EMU, 79-77 in Youngstown, Nov. 16, 2019.

LAST TIME AGAINST YOUNGSTOWN STATE: Former Eagle Jenna Annecchiarico scored 19 points as three EMU hoopers put up double-digit performances, but it was not enough, as YSU came back from 18-down to best the Green and White, 79-77, inside the Beeghly Center, Nov. 16, 2019.
   Tied at 77, Youngstown State made two of their three awarded free throws to take a two-point lead with less than a second on the clock. Those makes sealed the deal for the Guins in a game that featured four lead changes, one tie, and an 18-point first half lead for Eastern Michigan.

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE HORIZON: EMU owns a 62-46 record against current Horizon League foes. Home to Youngstown State and 11 other institutions, the Eagles have battled all but two of the members of the Indianapolis, Ind.-based conference (IUPUI and Northern Kentucky).
Given the proximity, it comes as no surprise that EMU has squared off against Detroit Mercy more than any other Horizon League opponent, with 29 meetings taking place between the two all-time. While Eastern trails in the all-time series, 15-14, against Detroit Mercy, EMU holds the upper hand versus Cleveland State (12-5), Illinois-Chicago (10-5), Valparaiso (5-3), Wright State (7-0), and Youngstown State (4-2). The Green and White sit level with Oakland (7-7) and Milwaukee (2-2) all-time, and are winless in the all-time series against Green Bay (0-5).

ALL THE LEAGUE'S THE EAGLES WILL FACE: Eastern will face competition from seven different NCAA Division I conferences this season. In addition to competition within the Mid-American Conference, EMU will battle teams from the: America East Conference (Binghamton), Big 12 Conference (Oklahoma), Big Ten (Michigan), Colonial Athletic Association (Delaware), Conference USA (FIU), and Horizon League (YSU, Detroit Mercy, IUPUI).

ON THE HORIZON: Following its matchup with the Penguins, Eastern will remain at home to challenge Detroit Mercy Saturday, Nov. 13. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. inside the Convocation Center. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and on 89.1 FM WEMU.

Women's Basketball Set to Usher in 2021-22 Season Versus Youngstown State

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Players Mentioned

Areanna Combs

ZaNiya Nelson

Danielle Rainey

Ce'Nara Skanes

Eastern Michigan Athletics